Sweet and Low
by NephilimEQ
Summary: Everything wasn't exactly what it seemed for the past few years of Hermione's life... PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

**PART I**

_Anywhere you go, anyone you meet_

_Remember that your eyes can be your enemies_

_I say, hell is so close and heaven's out of reach_

_But I ain't giving up quite yet; I've got too much to lose_

Severus Snape stared at the woman lying on his bed, one finger beckoning him to come closer, and he gave himself over to the temptation that was Hermione Granger.

Her arms and legs wound themselves around his body and he found himself taking solace once more in her physical comfort.

After a night of dark revels, he needed this. Not that he would ever say it out loud, but the two of them both knew why he was there and why he let her into his rooms almost every night. It was for this comfort, for these few brief moments of sanctuary.

He took too much from her, but she never said a word, and accepted everything that he did.

At times, it was almost too much and he would feel tears sliding down his face to drop down onto her cheeks, where she lay beneath him, her arms cradling him.

Every moment with her was like a prayer, a silent benediction to the heavens to spare his soul for the things that he had to do.

She was his anchor in the storm, his steady light that never wavered. He didn't know what he had done to deserve a woman like her…if anything, he knew the truth of it. He hadn't done anything to deserve her. She was too good for him, but almost every night, she descended to the dungeons to give him a saving grace that only a young woman like her could give him.

And when it was over, no words were spoken. She would draw the covers over both of them, sliding her arms around his waist, holding him tight, as though he just might slip away in the night.

And sometimes he did. And when he would come back in the morning, she would be gone, the bed made, her perfume lingering on the air and in his sheets.

Some days he wanted nothing more than to go to her, but they both understood that this was meant for the night, and not to be seen by the light of day.

During the day she was witch and student Hermione Granger, swot and know-it-all extraordinaire, and he was wizard and Professor Severus Snape, potioneer and greasy-bat-of-the-dungeons. That barrier was there, it _had_ to be in order for the both of them to cope.

At night, though, she was merely a woman named Hermione and he a man named Severus.

Two people who could find comfort in each other.

What he would give to have her there in his bed come morning, the consequences be damned. If her friends had any intelligence, they would have figured out that she was leaving the dorms almost every night, but of course the two of them didn't have enough brain cells together to pass his Potions class. A blessing for the two of them.

He didn't want anyone else to have her.

The first night that she had arrived in his rooms, he had yelled at her, threatened to go to the Headmaster, but then she had grabbed him and pulled him down into a deep and arresting kiss…

And he had found himself breaking down, tears escaping eyes for the first time in ten years, his hands grasping and holding onto her like she was a life raft.

When she had pulled him into his bedroom, practically dragging him to the bed, he had discovered a part of him that had desperately needed what she willingly wanted to give him and he found that it utterly terrified him to realize that he was so needy, but she hadn't cared.

When he had discovered that he was going to be her first, she had merely looked him in the eye, her gaze steely, and driven him home.

It was a night that would forever be imprinted into his mind.

Every now and again, he would catch her eye at meals, and an odd sensation would occur in his chest when she would merely lower her lids, biting her lower lip.

She was so young, but so much more than anyone else that he had ever known. She was innocence and incredible seductress all in one diminutive package. Inexperienced, but she had nothing but natural aptitude for anything that she put her mind to.

And she always seemed to know when to come to him.

He never said a word, he never gave her a sign…but she knew. It was like it was something that only she could see.

And it would start all over again.

And like it happened every single time, not a single word was spoken. Not even a syllable of a sound; nothing but labored breathing and halting and shuddering sighs, accompanied with grasping hands and fingernails digging into flesh, encouraging motion and movement.

Every mark was etched into his flesh, and he never erased the marks that she left behind.

Even when they stung in almost any way that he moved in his robes, especially when he sat down, he still had no desire to remove them.

It was a reminder that what was happening almost every night was most definitely _not _a dream. It was real.

At times, though, he wondered if he was corrupting her. If, somehow, all the things that made him who he was, every single dark part of his soul, were seeping into her bit by bit every single time they were together. But of course then he had to remind himself…_she_ came to _him_.

He had never tried to seduce her, and she had actually never tried to directly seduce him after their first night.

For both of them, it seemed to be an escape from what was going on in the world around them…a sanctuary.

But he always wondered…what would happen at the end of the war? He'd had the distinct feeling, for quite a while now, that he would most likely not survive it. Would he merely become a memory to her, a mistake in her youthful past?

At that thought, he felt a deep pang in his chest. No…he wanted to be more than that to her. He didn't want anyone else to have her.

He had been her first and, goddammit, he was going to be her last as well.

But of course, there was only one way to make sure that that would happen.

Severus wondered if he was could take that step. No; it wasn't a step…it was a blind leap. He could have his heart shattered all over again if he wasn't careful. But this time, he had the feeling that it would be the first _real_ time that his heart would really be broken.

The feelings that he felt towards Hermione were more intense than anything that he'd ever experienced before.

At times, it almost felt like he was desperately clinging to her, and that if anything were to happen that might take her out of his life permanently, he would not be able to bear it. It was an incredibly strange feeling to be having towards someone that he'd never even exchanged more than one conversation with in his entire time of knowing her.

He would wait to make his intentions known. But he still wasn't quite sure how he would do it…and then it came to him.

Later that night, after two full hours of nothing but pure hedonistic pleasure, they lay against the pillows, still saying nothing.

His left hand ran through her hair, something he had never done before, but as he still wasn't entirely sure how to approach things, he had to give himself something to do.

She was a stunning young woman, and he did not want to take a chance that she would choose to be with anyone else. He moved his hand free hand from behind his head and silently Summoned the ring from his bedside table, protectively tightening his fingers around it, as if it could disappear from his fingers at any second.

He wanted her to say yes. He _needed_ her to say yes.

Without even thinking about it, he reached for her left hand and slid the ring onto her ring finger. He would know soon enough what her answer was going to be.

She looked down in what he recognized as shock…and then pulled him towards her in a passionate kiss.

There was his answer.

* * *

><p>It was a private ceremony, one that only Dumbledore was privy to. In wizarding law, you only needed one witness, even if that was the person performing the ceremony, as the magics used in the ceremony were automatically recognized by Ministry Law as eternally binding and would show up in the records immediately after the final words were issued.<p>

Albus had questioned each of them individually beforehand, making sure that they were both aware of what they were doing and the consequences of doing so. They were, and they both still wanted it.

It took place in the Headmaster's office.

It was quiet, but the atmosphere was charged with the magical energy of the words being spoken.

Dumbledore turned to each of them, asking the same question each time and they both spoke the two words that would bind them to each other and no one else.

The Headmaster motioned for the two of them to grasp each other's left forearm and began to recite the words and the spell that would finish it. Neither of them said anything, and Hermione merely watched in fascination at the gold and silver threads that wound around their arms and through their hands, the end of the silver strand wrapping around her ring and the end of the gold strand wrapping around his ring.

The words were finished, and Dumbledore motioned for the two of them to finish.

They leaned in and shared a chaste kiss, but it was enough for each of them to feel the spark travel down their spines and secure the bond that now could not be broken.

It was done.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 1?**


	2. Chapter 2

**PART II**

_Rain is gonna fall, sun is gonna shine_

_The wind is gonna blow, the water's gonna rise_

_She said, When the day comes look into my eyes_

_No one's giving up quite yet, we've got too much to lose_

Hermione stood alone as she looked out over the devastation of the final battle. Parts of Hogwarts were destroyed, and even though they had won, she felt nothing but deep loss.

Severus was gone.

She glanced down at her left hand and absently ran her finger over the invisible wedding band. No one knew now but her…not even the Ministry. Severus had died, which meant that the record was destroyed. Which meant the only record was in her mind.

Suddenly, a wave of overwhelming sadness gripped her and she fell to her knees, sobs wracking her petite frame.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that after all of this time, after finally discovering the truth of her feelings towards the man, that he'd had to go and sacrifice himself for no reason.

They hadn't even been able to find his body.

That was one of the more depressing thoughts. She would have at least liked to have honored him with some sort of memorial. He had been her first…hell, she had been married to him for the last year, and it had been nothing but torture for her.

Dumbledore was gone and now so was her husband. Husband…the word was strange.

She had never really used the word in regard to him, but it was only sad to think of it now that he had passed on.

Hermione heard someone approach her from behind. A shadow fell across the ground and a hand gently touched her shoulder, obviously trying to comfort her.

"Hermione? You alright?"

It was Ron.

She slowly stood, absentmindedly brushing off the dirt from her jeans, well aware of the fact that they were still stained with blood and dirt from the battle. She would most likely have to burn the clothes that she was wearing, but at the same time didn't want to take them off.

She glanced down at herself, ignoring Ron's hand on her shoulder, noticing blood along the hem of her jeans…when had that gotten there?

And then she realized.

Standing in the Shrieking Shack as Severus had bled out…it was _his_ blood.

All that she could see was that stain, but then Ron pulled her into an embrace and she let herself collapse against him. She had feelings for him, yes, but they were different than the feelings that she had developed through her relationship with Severus.

And as she tightly closed her eyes, she silently wished that she was in the potion master's arms.

* * *

><p>It had been three months after that fateful day.<p>

And Ron had just proposed.

At first, she hadn't been sure of what to say, but she realized that she had a decent chance at a normal life with him. She was no longer married to Severus. After his death, the record of the Ministry would show that one spouse was deceased, thereby making the marriage dissolved.

And now here she was, sitting with him at the Burrow, their knees touching as they sat on the couch next to each other.

Hermione reached across and grasped his hand, ignoring the slight sweatiness of his palm.

"Yes."

That one word was all that she said, and she watched as a broad smile crossed his face. Her fate was sealed by that simple word, and she ignored the fact that something in the back of her mind was saying that she was making a mistake.

It couldn't be a mistake. She was saying yes to marriage with a man that she…cared deeply for.

Ron then said something that shocked her.

"Well, I was pretty sure that was going to be your answer…so I thought that we could go straight to the Ministry this weekend and have my father do the ceremony." She looked at him in shock, but he continued. "You see, I don't want to put off any part of our life together, and both mum and dad are alright with it, and it gives you enough time to tell your parents…so, is that alright?"

She continued to gape, still in shock. A proposal and now already she was getting married?

She had hoped for something…romantic.

But then again, she thought to herself, this _was_ Ron she was talking about. What did she honestly expect from him?

Hermione simply nodded, and two days later she found herself practically being dragged by Ron down the hall in the Ministry that led to a small chapel. Apparently it had been put there when there were once arranged marriages between pure-blood wizarding families, so that no one could try to skirt their duty.

They walked into the chapel, and there was a sudden change of atmosphere. Instead of eager anticipation, there was a sense of foreboding.

One look at Arthur Weasley's face told her that she was right…there was something wrong.

Ron wasn't completely dense, and had picked up on his father's expression almost immediately after entering the small chapel.

"Dad? What's wrong?"

Arthur said nothing, merely glancing back down at the paper that she now realized that he held in his hands. He looked at her and then back at the paper…and then back at her. His expression had changed to one of betrayal, and Hermione felt utterly confused as he uttered his next words.

"How could you, Hermione? How could you do this to us?"

She stared at him in confusion, not understanding what he meant, and he merely shoved the paper at her.

Quickly, she read through the document, wanting to understand exactly what she had done to garner such anger from such a dear friend, a father practically.

_Seal of Marriage, #3-8-97-39214476_

_Wife: Hermione Jean Granger_

_Husband: Severus Tobias Snape_

_Date of Marriage: the Eighth of March in the Year of our Lord Nineteen-Hundred and Ninety-Seven_

_Witness: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_Recognized by: the Ministry of Magic_

_Spell Used: _Aeternum Vincula Amoris

And then, at the very bottom of the document, was the stamp of the Ministry in blazing red.

Hermione looked at it in shock, knowing that the document should have been destroyed. What she held in her hands at that moment, should not, by all things that were logical, exist. It was impossible for it to exist…unless…

No. No, it couldn't be…

But it made perfect sense. It all fit together.

She felt it slip from her fingers to the floor and she barely even registered the fact that Ron had leaned down and picked it up and was now reading it. She lifted her fingers to her lips, barely believing what she had just realized…

Severus was alive.

It was the only way that that document could still possibly exist. And it explained why they'd never found his body…there wasn't a body to be found.

Severus had somehow survived and escaped.

…And they were still married.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2?**


	3. Chapter 3

**PART III**

_And I'll carry you all the way, you say you're fine, but you're still young and out of line_

_All I need is to turn around to make it last, to make it count_

_You're gonna make the same mistakes that put my momma in her grave_

_I don't want to be alone _

Hermione stood there in shock, and then slowly realized that Ron was reading the paper as well. She had the urge to grab it from him, but realized that he had to know, so she withheld the impulse.

His eyes suddenly snapped up to hers, anger easily showing through.

"You _married_ that greasy, slimy bastard? What for? Were you absolutely mental?"

She said nothing, knowing that he had to get it out of his system. She silently waited as he continued to rant, his face becoming more red with each passing moment.

"I mean, he tormented us, Hermione! He was absolutely horrible to us, even to you, and you never even did anything to hurt the man! Why the hell would you _marry_ him? Did he tell you that he was in love with you or something? Even if he did, why would you even _consider_ it?"

She continued to stay silent, keeping her expression as passive as she could, but she could feel the anger building inside.

He had no idea, _no idea_ what he was talking about.

What she and Severus had felt, even though they knew nothing about each other, was certainly real.

But the question remained: should she tell Ron and his father about the relationship that she'd had with Severus before they had gotten married? Eventually, she might have told Ron after they were married, but now that she knew that Severus was still alive, she felt the need to keep the details private.

Arthur gave her a particularly steely look, and then pulled the paper from his son's hands, reading through it once more.

And then Arthur looked at her again, a serious look in his eyes.

"The spell is a problem, that much is certain. Why the _Aeternum Vincula Amoris_ spell?" Hermione gave him a confused look, so he quickly explained. "Eternal Bonds of Love. It's the one marriage spell that cannot be broken in any way except for death. Why that spell?"

She gave him a look.

"Neither of us asked…Dumbledore picked it. I don't think either of us knew…"

She watched as comprehension dawned in his eyes at what that meant, especially when combined with everything else that had already transpired.

His eyes snapped back down to the paper and then back up to hers, his expression now one of shock.

"Wait…this means-this means that he's…that he's…?"

Hermione nodded, her hand going to her stomach, suddenly feeling slightly nauseous. Why was this happening to her? And of course, the most pressing question being, how the hell was Severus Snape even still _alive_?

She had watched him bleed out in the Shrieking Shack. She had watched him die with her own eyes…_but of course_, she heard a voice in the back of her mind whisper, _you never actually checked if he had died, you only assumed_.

She felt bile rise in the back of her throat. Yes, she had assumed. Oh dear Merlin, how Severus must hate her.

If anyone should have checked, it should have been her.

It should have been her.

At that thought, she suddenly couldn't bear being in the same room as the two Weasleys and she ran out of it, running down the hall to where the Floos were, and made a hasty exit, throwing the powder into the flames and watched them go green as she muttered "Diagon Alley," and then threw herself into the fire.

She exited from the Ministry by arriving in Flourish and Blotts, the main entrance grate for the Alley. It was a default if you weren't sure where in Diagon Alley you wanted to go.

It was safe enough, but she knew that they would look for her at the bookstore, so she quickly ducked out of it and made her way down the street towards another alley, knowing that they would assume that she had stayed in Diagon Alley, having never ventured further themselves.

She had been there many times before and had enjoyed their variety. Contraverse Alley.

It was a very quiet one, but it had a few cafes that catered to those who had tastes for more foreign coffees and teas, and a couple of bookstores that held exceedingly rare volumes and texts that she couldn't afford, but glanced through every once in a while.

Hermione quickly found the place that she was looking for. _The Crow's Corner_.

It was a privately owned bookstore, and she knew the owner rather well simply because of the fact that she had visited every day for nearly three months just two summers ago.

Trevor Terrington, the owner, smiled and nodded at her as she slipped in and she gave him a brief nod in return and headed towards the back, but then paused.

She stepped up to the counter and got Trevor's attention, and motioned for him to lean in. She then fervently whispered, "Trevor, if anyone comes by looking for me, can you tell them that you haven't seen me? Please?"

She put as much pleading into her voice as possible, and he gave her a reassuring smile and nodded.

"Sure thing, miss. Glad to see you back again…the piano's missed you."

Hermione gave an embarrassed smile at his mention of the antique grand piano that he had in the back of the store, hidden from prying eyes.

She had played on it and he had always let her. It was one thing that no one knew about, not even Harry or Ron. Her music was hers and hers alone. With that thought in mind, she slipped into the back of the store and slid onto the worn, but sturdy, wooden piano bench.

Gently, she placed her fingers on the keys and started a simple piece that she'd memorized years before.

_August Light,_ by Kathryn Kaye.

The melody was simple but it seemed to hold the emotion in it that she was feeling at that moment. Unsure. Alone.

Eventually, the melody died down and she found herself at a loss. All of her emotions began to rush towards her at once, hitting her with all the subtlety of the Hogwarts Express at full steam. What was she going to do?

In the back of her head, she had already decided, but she didn't want to look too closely at those thoughts just yet.

But they forced themselves on her, and she finally let herself examine them.

Severus was alive, that much was certain. However, it told her nothing of where he was. Where could he have gone? Where _would_ he have gone?

She knew that he had some sort of family home, but she had never known where it was. She had the vague feeling that there was a way that she could find out, that someone she knew actually knew about it, but…wait! That was it!

Harry.

She rushed towards the front of the store and to their fireplace, grabbing some Floo powder from off the mantle.

"Number 12, Grimmauld Place!"

* * *

><p><strong>Part 3?**


	4. Chapter 4

**PART IV**

_Hold me down, sweet and low, little girl_

_Hold me down, sweet and low and I will carry you home_

_Hold me down, sweet and low, little girl_

The next thing she knew, she was standing in the living room of her best friend's home. Hermione quickly dusted herself off, and heard Harry thumping down the stairs.

"I'm coming! Just a minute, just a minute…"

He walked into the room and stopped in his tracks at seeing Hermione in his living room, running a hand through his more than usually mussed up hair. All he wore was a pair of gray sweatpants and a hastily thrown on shirt with a…no, it couldn't be…a Slytherin logo?

"Hermione…uh, what are you doing here? Now's not exactly the best time for-"

"I don't give a damn, Harry Potter, what the hell is convenient for you! Do you know where Sev…"

Hermione's voice drifted as she saw a pair of red and gold pajama-clad legs descending down the stairs, and a distinctive aristocratic drawl reached her ears…

"Potter, you're wearing my sweats, so I had to wear yours. They're not exactly my color, if you know what I mean…"

The voice drifted and Hermione stared on in shock to see Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter's home, wearing the pajama pants that she had given Harry only just last Christmas, and looking rather, well, the only word that she could use was…sated.

A grin crossed Draco's lips, while at the same time a deep red blush crossed Harry's face.

"Why, hello, Granger. Nice of you to stop by."

He then turned to Harry and Hermione watched in strange fascination as Malfoy placed a gentle kiss on the young man's lips and was lovingly received.

Harry gave Draco a soft look, and Hermione watched, captivated, and still slightly confused, as her friend placed a loving hand along the other young man's angular jawline, his fingers obviously meant to be soft and reassuring.

"Kitchen for now, Draco…._please_…"

Draco gave another grin, this one more of the cat-that-got-the-cream type grin, and then sauntered out, obviously not the least bit embarrassed by what had just occurred. Hermione's mind went briefly blank, forgetting for a moment why she had come…but then she remembered.

"Alright…now, ignoring that for the time being, I need some information from you, Harry."

He nodded and then motioned towards a door.

"Okay, but could we do this in the library? Draco gets a bit tetchy when he doesn't get his sleep…"

Hermione nodded and lead the way to the room, but the instant that Harry closed the door, she turned on him.

"Where's Severus Snape's home?"

Harry looked at her in confusion at her sudden change of temper, but she did not back down. "Don't you dare try to be evasive, Harry! I know that you know, and I need to know right now, do you hear me?"

He nodded. "Alright…no questions asked, got it."

He then tried to talk, but found he was unable to say the words…and his eyes snapped up to hers. The place was secret-kept, and once the person died he should have been able to say the name, but he couldn't.

Which only meant one thing. Glaring at her, but still asking no questions, he grabbed a slip of paper and a Muggle pen and wrote it down and handed it to her.

He called to her just as she was about to leave.

"Hermione…bring him back."

She gave a brief nod of her head and then walked to his front stoop and Disapparated.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 4?**


	5. Chapter 5

**PART V**

_Hold me down_

_And I'll carry you home_

_Home, home, home, home_

She appeared on a cramped, alley-like street, which seemed to have a gray film coating everything.

Ignoring it, she looked down at the paper in her hand, rereading Harry's loose writing.

_Spinners End_.

Simple enough, really, but which one was it?

But then she saw it. A faint, almost invisible trail of magic, lingered in the air, so she followed it, weaving through a few houses, until she arrived at one place that was even less maintained than the rest of the homes.

Hermione thought about knocking, and her hand hovered for a brief moment, but instead she simply opened the door and walked in.

Considering the fact that they were actually still married, any home of his was a home of hers and he could _not_ throw her out.

She heard a faint scuffling from the kitchen, so she headed towards it, but was then thrown back by a powerful spell that suddenly had her pinned against the wall next to the door. She gasped for breath and struggled against the invisible force that held her by the throat against the wall…

…and then froze as she saw who had walked through the doorway into the room.

It was like seeing someone return from the dead, and she could barely believe her eyes.

There was Severus Snape, his left hand thrust forward, his fingers curled, no wand to be seen. His lip was curled upwards in a snarl and his eyes were dark with cold fury…and then the look slowly disappeared as he saw who was in his home, replaced by confusion…

However, the wandless spell still held her in its' grasp, and she barely managed to gasp, "Please…I forced Harry to give me the address…"

She suddenly felt the floor beneath her feet again, but it wasn't for long as her legs collapsed beneath her and she hit the floor with her knees and bent over at the waist, gasping for air, absentmindedly massaging her throat, where the invisible hand had held her.

He then spoke, and she shivered at hearing his voice.

"How did you know?"

She pushed herself back up to her feet and caught his eye, trying to tell him wordlessly, but finally broke the silence.

"Let's just say that having Arthur Weasley shoving a Ministry document in my face that said we were still married tipped me off…"

He gave her a look, a raised eyebrow, and she shook her head.

"Don't ask…it's a long story."

She motioned to the couch in the room and then gave him a questioning look. "May I?" He nodded, so she went and sat down, slightly surprised to find that it was actually fairly comfortable, and then watched as he walked over to her, his entire body seeming to scream hesitation.

"I...I never thought I'd see you again…"

Hermione looked up at him, trying to read his face and suddenly felt a flash of longing, something that she hadn't felt since…well, since that night.

"What about me? I thought that you were dead, remember?"

He said nothing, avoiding her eye, but she noticed that his fingers caressed the ring finger of his left hand. He still wore it, though it could not be seen.

She suddenly felt her heart in her throat at the sight, and she couldn't take it anymore.

Screw propriety and patience, she was going to have what was rightly hers!

Before she could think about what she was doing, she quickly stood and walked over to him and grasped his head in her hands and pulled him down to her lips, capturing him as well as she could, praying that he would respond.

His entire body tightened as her lips touched his, but after a moment, he gave into her silent demands and sank into the kiss.

Tongues slid against one another, each one fighting for dominance, and she almost sobbed in relief when she felt him returning her kiss with such passion.

He was truly alive…and he was hers.

What the hell had she been thinking when she'd said yes to Ron? Nothing between them came even _close_ to what she felt when she was with this wonderfully confusing, yet intoxicating man…of course she'd married him. He was her perfect equal in everything.

Even this…

Soon, kisses became more languid, and she shivered in anticipation as she felt his hands slide down to her hips, molding perfectly to the curves, and then one hand slid forward and easily popped the button on her jeans.

She hadn't bothered to change for her "wedding" with Ron, and she was silently glad that she hadn't.

Warm skin met warm skin and she groaned as one of his fingers slid beneath her jeans and underneath the elastic of her panties, caressing her in _just _ the right way…

She wrenched her lips from his and groaned out loud, trying to reciprocate, but he would have none of it.

The next thing she knew, the both of them were suddenly in what she assumed to be his bedroom, and he threw her to the mattress, snapping his fingers, causing their clothes to disappear. Suddenly, he was hovering over her, skin touching skin once more.

It had been months and she arched into him, needing to feel him the way that she had once before.

A low groan escaped him, and soon they were once more joined the way that was so familiar to both of them and lost themselves to the rhythm that pounded through their blood and begged to be followed.

It took them mere moments to find completion, both of them shuddering at the intensity of it as it captured them both.

Finally, slowly, they came back down, still grasping tightly to each other, neither of them willing to let go of the other, both of them afraid of what might happen if they did.

She felt her body drifting to sleep and pulled him close to her as he laid down at her side.

They could talk about everything later…for now, she just wanted to take the moment as it came, and enjoy it. The explanations would come later, for now there was simply the two of them…and that was all that mattered.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 5?**


	6. Chapter 6

**PART VI**

Hermione slowly woke, slightly disoriented, and then smiled as she remembered what had happened.

A warm arm rested over her waist and soft fingers caressed her skin, sending tingles through her body at the slightest touch.

She moved to arrange herself more comfortably and then heard him say,

"You're awake…sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

She shook her head and rested her hand over his, reassuring him that it was alright. "It's fine Severus…I honestly don't mind waking up to you. It's a first for both of us, I think."

She turned to face him, and watched as his eyes clouded over slightly at what she had just said, and she realized that she was probably reminding him of some of the worst days of his life, and she inwardly cringed…that hadn't been her intention.

She lifted a hand to his face, but he intercepted it before she could touch him, his fingers gently holding her wrist, his eyes staring at her intently.

There was a long pause…and then a faint, almost smile crossed the corner of his lips.

"Thank you for coming," he said, and then gave her another look, one of confusion. "You said something about Arthur and a ministry document of our marriage? I thought it was destroyed…"

At this, she sat up in the bed, pulling her wrist from his grasp and he watched in fascination as her eyes hardened.

"You mean, you never meant for me to find out…"

He said nothing, sitting up in bed next to her, the covers falling down to his waist, and she found herself suddenly trying to avoid looking at him. Seeing him like that, knowing that he was completely bare underneath, was severely testing her control.

Hermione wanted nothing more than to throw herself back at him and once more get lost in the sensations of being with him.

But she contained herself.

"I…I thought the record would have been destroyed after my…my counterspell."

She looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes wide in shock at what he had just said, and he was captivated by the picture she presented.

Curls wild and tangled from the night before, sheet barely covering her front, her back completely, enticingly bared to him…and at that moment he wanted nothing more than to press her back into the mattress and make love to her once more, but he restrained himself.

Now was not the time for such ideas, though pleasant they were.

"What counterspell?" she asked, her voice deathly quiet, venom lacing her words.

He winced at hearing her tone and then quickly explained.

"Each and every marriage spell has a counterspell, in case of forced unions. I used the counterspell for _Vincula Amoris_, as that was the one that Dumbledore used…it should have freed you from the marriage and dissolved any documents. Obviously, it didn't work."

She continued to look at him, but her look had now changed from one of anger to one of confusion.

"Wait…but Dumbledore used _Aeternum Vincula Amoris_, not _Vincula Amoris_…I saw so on the document."

At this, Severus' eyes widened, and he sat up further, putting one of his hands on her shoulder and turning her to more fully face him.

"Are you _certain_ that that was the spell he used?"

She nodded. "Yes…I remember because Arthur told me that it was the only marriage spell that couldn't be broken with anything except for death of one of the spouses…"

However her voice trailed off as Severus shook his head in the negative.

"No, Hermione," he explained. "If done with any other wand, that would be the case…but when done with the _elder_ wand, it can _never_ be broken, not even with death…"

She looked at him in shock, and then watched as he reached for her left hand and ran a finger across her invisible wedding band, causing her to suddenly realize that she had never taken the ring off, not even when she was supposedly about to be married to Ron.

She watched in fascination as it slowly reappeared at her (though it was hard to even think of the word) husband's touch.

He motioned for her to do the same, so she carefully touched her fingers to his left ring finger and marveled as it slowly reappeared, and then a faint smile crossed her lips…

"You never took it off…"

He looked at her. "You never took _yours_ off…"

She blushed, and then watched as his expression turned to one of deep concentration. She knew that look.

He was trying to figure something out.

"Try to take your ring off," he said suddenly, and she looked at him in shock, thinking that he must be joking, but she could see the seriousness in his eyes, so she quickly complied.

Hermione gripped the ring and slowly tried to pull it off…and suddenly she felt severe pain, as though the metal of the ring were fused straight through her skin and into the bone of the finger itself and she quickly let go, biting her lip to hold back the tears of pain that had suddenly formed in the corners of her eyes.

He saw this, and quickly tried to do the same with his own ring, and then she saw him wince as well and he quickly desisted.

They shared a look…they truly _were_ bonded.

She looked down at her hand, not quite believing what had happened, and then looked back up at him.

"What…what does this mean?"

He gave her a look, one eyebrow raised. "I think we both know the answer to that question," he said, and she simply nodded, and then reached for his hand, gripping it tightly.

"So," she said lightly, trying to start a conversation, and she quickly said the first thing that came to her mind. "Apparently Harry is gay, and he and Draco are sleeping together…"

At this, Severus' eyebrows shot up, almost getting lost in his hairline and she tried not to giggle at the expression on his face.

"Are you sure…?"

Hermione shrugged, trying to remain nonchalant about the whole thing, though she had the urge to laugh hysterically.

"Trust me, I did _not_ see it coming. When I went to Harry's to find out your address, Draco came walking down the stairs in Harry's pajama pants and nothing else…and then they kissed right in front of me, Harry gave him a completely besotted look and Draco looked like he'd just been shagged, so I figured it out rather quickly. It's rather hard to misread that kind of situation," she said deadpan, flopping herself back against the pillows.

Severus leaned down on one arm and looked over at her, and then a grin crossed his lips.

"You do realize that you're Mrs. Snape, now, don't you?"

She turned her head and gave him a look. "Actually, I've been Mrs. Snape for almost a year, now…strange, isn't it?"

He leaned over her, placing one hand on the other side of her head, dropping his lips ever closer to hers.

"Not really…I think it suits you…"

And with that, he captured her lips, and she gave herself up to his skillful ministrations. Last night hadn't been enough, and now that she had him for the rest of her life, she did _not_ plan on letting him go any time soon…

Things quickly escalated and a few minutes later she straddled him, riding him with abandon, gasping each time he thrust his hips upward.

He was utterly perfect…she ground herself against him and suddenly she was coming, milking him for all that he had, and she felt a surge of feminine pride as he suddenly seized beneath her, his fingers grasping at her hips almost bruisingly as he buried himself in her one last time, and she felt a surge of wet warmth run through her.

They collapsed in a sweaty heap of tangled limbs, with her lying on top of him, and she felt him grin against her skin as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"I could get used to this," he muttered, and she laughed.

"Me, too…"

* * *

><p><strong>Part 6?**


	7. Chapter 7

**PART VII**

Hermione woke up once more and yet again tangled with Severus…her husband.

She smiled at that word. Husband. It had a wonderful ring to it, and she loved the fact that he was right beside her as she woke.

She turned over to watch him as he slept…only to find that his eyes were wide and watching her.

"You're awake," he said, sleep lacing his tone and making it deeper than she was used to, causing a shiver to run along her spine.

She smiled.

"How long have you been watching me sleep?"

He grinned. "Long enough."

And with that, he leaned over and gave her a soft kiss against her lips, and then stood up and grabbed an old robe from the back of the bedroom door. She made a small moue of disappointment as she watched his bare body disappear beneath the dark green terry cloth and he smiled.

"So sorry…but I do believe that we need to eat."

And with that, he left the room and walked down the stairs, leaving her lying in his bed.

She lay there for a few moments, vaguely realizing that she was eventually going to have to tell the Weasley's about her and Severus…as well as Harry.

Oh, dear, how on earth would he take it?

Of course, she reasoned to herself, if he was going to be with Draco, then he didn't have a leg to stand on if he tried to take offense with her new relationship…she grinned at that fact, and then her grin widened even further as she thought of how the Weasley's would react over him and Draco.

Hell…they would accept her and Snape more readily than they would ever accept Harry and Draco; at least Snape had been on their side in the end.

She pulled herself from under the covers and smiled as she walked over to his closet.

Opening the doors, she found a large dress shirt…surprisingly enough, it wasn't black, but a light blue, so she quickly threw it on and headed down the stairs.

She walked through one of the doorways, and instead of finding the kitchen, she had found what could only be described as the most perfect room that she'd ever seen. Though it was slightly small, and the window was covered in some grime, every single wall was a bookshelf, and they were all filled.

She stared in wonder and began to look through his collection, and then she discovered it…a whole wall dedicated to classic Muggle science fiction.

Hermione reached for one of the books, _Nightfall_ by Isaac Asimov, and she lovingly caressed the spine.

Her father had loved these books and she'd grown up reading them in her home. She turned the page and gasped at what she saw.

It was a first edition.

Curious, she checked a few more of the books and found that most of them were first editions. She fell back into one of the cushioned chairs in the corner. If she hadn't already been married to him, she would have married him for his book collection alone.

A shadow appeared in the doorway, but went unnoticed by her.

Severus, with a mug of tea in each hand, watched as she sat in the chair nearest the window in the corner, his personal favorite spot to read, and smiled as he saw the book in her hands.

Yes, his father had been a Muggle, and though not the greatest of fathers he was good at encouraging his education.

He had given him his collection when he was younger, and he had enjoyed every single book and was the only good memory that he had of his father.

But as he watched her, thoughts began forming in his mind…how did she _really_ feel about the fact that he'd tried to use a spell to end their marriage? It had not been because he didn't love her…his love for her was certain, of that he was sure.

It had been because he did not want to see her suffer his fate along with him.

He was already hated and reviled, and she deserved so much better than him…hopefully, she would understand that.

He stepped forward from the shadow and watched in amusement as she dropped her legs from their previous position, obviously suddenly feeling some sort of modesty.

"Severus…I didn't know you were there."

He simply gave a faint smile, more a twitch of his lips, and then twitched his finger, sending one of the mugs in her direction.

"I know," he said, a grin fully forming on his lips.

She shyly returned the grin, tucking her legs carefully under her and he watched in fascination as the material of what he now recognized to be one of _his_ shirts slipped up her thigh, exposing skin and enticing him with each passing second.

Hermione took a sip of the tea and smiled as she recognized the flavor. It was orange-ginseng. A favorite.

How he knew, she had no idea, but then at the back of her mind she remembered what he'd told her just that morning.

The fact that he'd tried a counterspell at first had made her furious…but then she'd realized.

Severus had most likely thought that he was doing the right thing, sacrificing possible happiness of his own in order to ensure the happiness of someone else. He had so many self-esteem issues, he probably _still_ had problems believing that she was in love with him, though she knew that he would never admit it aloud.

She loved _him_, and no one else…but of course, how would he take it when she told him about what she'd been about to do?

She shook her head and tossed the thought to the side for the time being.

_Not now_, she told herself, and then looked back up at Severus, who was leaning against one of the bookshelves, the sunlight slanting across his front through the dirt on the window.

She finally voiced her thoughts.

"Severus," she started, and his eyes snapped up to hers. "I…I understand why you did what you did. You thought you were giving me a better life, didn't you?"

At this, his eyes dropped and she felt an odd smile cross her face. Gods, what had she done to deserve such a selfless man? A man who was willing to give up his own happiness just because he thought that it would make her life better?

"I…I didn't want you to have to live with any reminders of any…past mistakes."

At this, Hermione put her mug on the small table next to the chair and stood up from it, striding across the small room over to where he stood, anger flashing in her eyes.

"How dare you call what we had a mistake!"

He quickly amended his words. "A mistake for _you_, not for me! You were never a mistake to me…if anything, you were a godsend…"

His voice trailed off, and Hermione found herself taken aback by the look in his eyes. It was one of utter adoration and she felt her heart flutter in her chest for a moment at the sight and what it meant for the two of them.

Finally, she found her voice and spoke, and though her words were barely above a whisper, he heard them loud and clear.

"You were _never_ a mistake for me, Severus…_never_. Do you hear me?"

She lifted her hands to his face, cupping it between her palms, her thumbs gently caressing his lips.

A look passed between them, and she was faintly aware of him magicking his mug over next to hers, and then his hands came up and encircled her wrists, gently bringing her hands down from his face. There was an intensity in his gaze…and it wasn't entirely comfortable.

"Tell me, Hermione…what were you doing at the Ministry that lead Arthur Weasley to finding our marriage certificate…?"

She froze.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 7?**


	8. Chapter 8

**PART VIII**

Hermione slowly pulled her hands away, unsure of what to say.

"Severus…first of all, you need to understand three things," she started, and she began to pace, wringing her hands in front of her. "One, that I was _firmly _under the belief that you were dead!"

He nodded, and she continued, trying to ignore the feel of his scrutinizing gaze upon her.

"Two, that I thought that I might at least be somewhat happy…and three, that I honestly didn't think that I had much of a choice…"

He said nothing, and she finally stopped pacing and stood her ground in front of him, squaring her shoulders and looking into his eyes. He said nothing, simply staring…and then he stepped forward, placing a hand on her jawline.

"Hermione…who were you going to marry?"

She said nothing, and tried to turn her gaze, but his fingers held her fast, not letting her pull away.

She looked him hard in the eye.

"Ron."

There was a long silence, and then an odd look crossed his face.

"At least it wasn't Potter."

Hermione looked at him in shock, not quite believing what he had just said, certain that he was going to hate her...but here he was, shocking her with his words. How the hell was he not furious with her? How was he not angry?

Severus saw her look of incredulity, so he quickly explained.

"Hermione…I understand." She was still silent, but he continued. "This is what I wanted for you…I just didn't expect it to happen so soon. And even though it wasn't Potter, still…Weasley?"

Hermione shrugged, not sure of what to say. She finally just told it the way that she understood it.

"Ron was…safe." She sighed. "I like him, and he can be amusing to be around, but that's all."

Severus nodded, and then slid an arm around her hip, pulling her close, and he gave her a faint smile, one that barely showed at the edge of his lips. She wondered for a moment at the way he was acting, but then she dismissed it and took it as it came.

They stood there for a moment, and she was suddenly very aware of the fact that she was wearing nothing but one of his dress shirts.

A thin layer of cloth separated her from him, as well as the thin layer from his own shirt.

He pulled her closer, and she noticed his faint smile turn into a devious grin…and then she felt his right hand slowly start to slide up the back of her thigh.

"And I'm not safe…is that what you're saying?"

The tone of his voice was low and suggestive, and the look in his eyes was positively predatory…

Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat at what he was intimating and her lids slowly lowered at the sensation that ran through her from where his fingers brushed against her skin, inching further upward by the second.

"Uh…I…uhm...I guess so…"

She gasped as he suddenly wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her tight to his body, letting her feel his reaction to her.

How the hell had they gone from one simple conversation all the way to _this_ in just a manner of seconds?

Well…there was the fact that she was wearing practically _nothing_, and the fact that she was wearing one of _his_ shirts probably had something to do with it as well. Well, if that was the case, then she might as well take advantage of it…

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Actually, Severus…that's exactly why I chose you…"

The teasing in her tone was fairly obvious, and he raised an eyebrow at her and then leaned in closer, his lips barely brushing hers.

"Then you're about to find out what happens when you choose a man like me…"

She merely grinned devilishly at him, and let out a squeal as he suddenly picked her up and in two long strides was across the room. He sat down in the chair that she had vacated only a minute earlier and sat her across his lap, his right hand slipping to _exactly_ where she wanted it.

She groaned and let her head fall backward, where she then moaned once more because he had leaned forward and was now nipping at her neck, while his fingers wreaked havoc below her waist.

"Se…Severus…" was all she managed to get out, before succumbing to his ministrations.

She rolled her hips against him and then he ground the heel of his hand against her in _just _the right way…and suddenly she was coming, all over his wrist.

As she came down, she grabbed his head with both of her hands and pulled him in for a kiss, biting at his lips and sucking his tongue eagerly into her mouth. God, this man drove her crazy and she wanted nothing more than to do the same to him.

She felt him groan and she inwardly grinned…yes, she could dish it out, too.

She undulated her hips against his, feeling the evidence of his desire just beneath her, hot and hard.

Suddenly, from the doorway they both heard someone clearing their throat.

Severus snapped up from the chair with lightning fast reflexes, instinctively putting himself between her and whatever the potential threat might be…only to find Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway to his library.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 8?**


	9. Chapter 9

**PART IX**

There was a long pause of silence, filled with awkward tension.

"Uhh…I'll come by later then," Harry finally said, but Draco stopped him from leaving the room, a grin plastered on the young man's face.

"Hello, Uncle Severus…glad to see you're not dead."

He walked into the room, pushing Harry in front of him, obviously taking some amusement from the situation that they found themselves in.

Hermione was suddenly very aware of the fact that she was woefully underdressed and attempted to pull the shirt further down her legs to cover herself, but failed miserably. Severus was long in the legs and shorter in the torso, so his shirts weren't all that lengthy and still came above her knee.

She cast an apologetic glance in Harry's direction at the situation, but he had his eyes averted from the sight in front of him, and she was fairly certain that he was trying to erase the memory of what he had just seen.

Draco continued to grin like an idiot, and Severus slowly recovered enough to ask,

"What are you doing in my home, Potter?"

He deliberately ignored his godson, knowing that Draco would take things rather well as he had been raised to always "go with the flow", so to speak.

Harry avoided Severus' gaze, but Hermione knew that it was only a matter of time before he caved and finally answered Severus' question. Draco, shrugging the whole thing off, sauntered over to one of the bookshelves and pulled out a book and smiled at what he had found.

"The _original_ Kama Sutra…you _do_ have good taste, uncle."

With that, he plopped himself down into the one other chair in the room, and ignored the three of them, leaving them to figure things out.

Harry finally looked up, but looked over at Hermione first.

He gaped for a moment, as though trying to figure out how to start, and then finally spoke.

"Hermione, I _swear_ I was just looking for you…Ron came by and said that you'd vanished and asked if I'd seen you-" Hermione tried to cut him off, but he continued. "-But I said I _hadn't_. I was going to come here to check for myself, but Draco woke up and insisted on coming with me…"

With this last part, he looked over at his lover, glaring, but Draco didn't even bother to look up from his book, though a faint smirk lingered at the corner of his mouth.

Harry looked back at Hermione, and then at Severus.

"Trust me…I did _not_ expect to see you alive. I had _no_ idea that you were..." He paused a moment. "…and, might I add, I especially did _not_ expect to see what I just saw when I decided to come over here."

At this statement, Draco snorted, causing all three of them to glare at him, but then realized that it was hopeless to try to do anything with him.

Surprisingly, Severus responded first.

"Trust me, Potter…I did not expect you to see that, either."

At this, Hermione put a hand over her mouth to cover the snort of laughter that had burst out at Severus' unexpected comment.

Severus looked at her, an eyebrow raised, and she just bit her lip to keep from grinning like an idiot. He was almost too perfect…it seemed that he had already laid down some of his anger towards Harry and was comfortable enough with him to make a joke about the whole situation.

Hermione, staying mainly hidden by Severus, then realized what else she had to tell Harry.

"Uhm, Harry…" she said, catching his eye. "There's something else we need to tell you…"

She cast a look over at Severus and he realized what she wanted to tell Harry, and he gave her a brief, almost imperceptible nod.

She continued.

"About a year ago…well, Severus and I…we-we were together…and-and…" She couldn't figure out how to say it, fumbling over her words, but then Draco suddenly stood up from the chair and gave them both a look.

"Oh for the love of…they're married!"

At this, the three of them all looked at Draco in shock; Hermione and Severus in shock because of the fact that he somehow knew, and Harry in shock because…well, that was fairly obvious.

"That's ridiculous, Draco! Of course they're not married!"

The blonde young man stepped forward towards his lover and placed a hand on Harry's, giving him a pitying look.

"Harry…I love you, but you're an idiot." Harry continued to look confused, and then Draco explained. "Left hands, the ring finger…tell me, love, what do you see?"

At this, both Hermione and Severus realized what he was referring to, and watched as Harry looked over at them and their hands…and his eyes widened so suddenly that it was almost comical, and Hermione had to hold back a snicker at her friend's expression.

"I-they-you're-!"

Hermione flashed him another apologetic smile, grabbed her husband's left hand with her own, and then lifted them for both of the boys to see.

"Guilty, Harry," she said, a slightly impish smile on her face.

At this, he seemed to pale a few shades. "I think I…I think I need to sit down…"

Draco carefully helped him over to the chair that he'd just vacated and tried not to grin at his lover's reaction. Yes, he loved Harry, but he was still a Slytherin at heart and lived for these kinds of moments; they were always memorable and absolutely priceless.

Hermione was slightly worried, but Draco reassured her.

"Don't worry. Just give him a few minutes, he'll be fine."

He then stood up from where he'd been kneeling next to the chair and cast a look at the two of them, a soft smile crossing his lips, one that Hermione had never seen before.

He looked up at his godfather, a slight sparkle in his eyes.

"First of all, I just want to say…thank Merlin, you're alive, uncle. I really missed you…" He paused, and then looked over at Hermione, and then down at her and Severus' entwined hands. "And as for the two of you…I'm happy."

With that, he turned back to his lover, but not before tossing over his shoulder,

"And Hermione…I have to say I _love_ the look. Less is definitely more on you."

She felt herself flush a deep red and cast a look at her husband, trying to see how he would react to his godson's jibe, but was surprised to find a faint smirk on his face. He then looked down at her and gave her a grin, one that had her insides turning hot.

"You know," he said, drawing out the words slightly. "I have to agree with him…"

She looked at him in shock and then hit him on the shoulder.

"No wonder you and Lucius were friends…I bet you two egged each other on!"

He gave her another look, an eyebrow raised, and she felt her insides melt a little bit more, nearly forgetting that Harry and Draco were still in the room.

"However," he continued. "I do think a change of clothes would be a decent idea…for now, at least."

He finished the last part of this with a slight leer, his eyes promising her things for later and she all but ran up the stairs to the bedroom. As she picked up her discarded clothes from the floor, she grinned.

She suddenly couldn't _wait_ to tell the Weasleys.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 9?**


	10. Chapter 10

**PART X**

Six out of the eight Weasleys looked at her in shock.

Ron stood next to his father, a look of cold anger on his face, not meeting anyone's eye, for which Hermione honestly couldn't get mad at him for. She should have told him, and shouldn't have assumed that he'd never find out.

Molly Weasley was looking at her as though she'd grown another head, and kept on casting odd looks in Severus' direction, as though still not quite believing that he was alive.

However, the greatest reaction was coming from the twins.

Initially they had been the first to cry out…but then sly grins formed on their faces and they gave the unlikely couple a look.

Fred spoke first.

"Always knew you had it in you to be a rebel, Hermione…"

George continued. "…and you couldn't have picked a better choice."

Mrs. Weasley looked at her two sons as though they had each grown an extra head as well, and Hermione was certain that Molly would explode at any second. Her face was a deep red, her mouth tightened to a thin line, but just as she was about to say something, Harry and Draco came through the Floo.

"Sorry I'm late, Hermione…" He then saw everyone's faces. "Oh, so you told them?"

At this, all of the Weasley's eyes snapped over to Harry.

"You _knew?_" exclaimed Molly, advancing forward like an angry dragon. "You knew that she was with-with…_him? And that he was alive?_"

Harry quickly shook his head, while Ron and Draco exchanged looks of loathing.

"No, no, no, no…Mrs. Weasley, I swear that I only found out today, and it was completely by accident! I swear!"

Ron finally got up the courage to speak, though he couldn't meet anyone's eyes as he did. "What's _he_ doing here?" he asked, motioning his head towards the young blonde Malfoy that stood slightly behind Harry, still brushing Floo powder off his robes, not bothering with his wand.

At hearing this, Harry turned slightly red while a smirk formed on Draco's face.

Hermione, seeing this as an out, gripped Severus' hand, giving it a faint squeeze, and then gave him a small look.

_Hold on_, she mouthed to him before suddenly blurting out,

"I may have fallen in love and married Severus, but Harry's gay and he and Draco are a couple!"

Immediately after blurting this out, she yanked her husband to her and Apparated on the spot, turning on her heel, leaving the eight Weasley's staring at the empty space where the couple had just been, all of their mouths gaping.

All of them turned on Harry and Draco, where Harry immediately began to stutter, trying to clean up the mess that Hermione had left him with.

Damn her! It seemed that she had a few Slytherin ways, and he was dealing with the consequences.

"You're…you're with Draco?"

This came from Fred, and Harry looked at him in surprise.

"Wait…the fact that I'm gay doesn't bother you, but the fact that I'm with Draco _does?_"

Fred and George exchanged a look, their eyebrows arching in mirror images of one another, and then turned in unison back to Harry, identical smirks crossing their lips as they looked at him.

"Harry, we've known for years that you were gay, we just didn't realize that you had worse taste than Hermione…"

At this, Harry was now the one gaping.

However, everyone else was still silent, their eyes alternating between Harry, Draco, and the spot where Hermione and Snape had stood only moments before.

* * *

><p>The two of them popped into existence in a dim, heavily curtained front room of a home.<p>

As Severus slowly got his bearings, he glanced around and quickly deduced that it was a Muggle home.

Stationary Muggle photos were on the mantle and she seemed strangely confident as she quickly let go of his hand and strode out of the room into the next room over. As he looked at the photos, however, they were strangely absent…as though something was missing.

They only had a man and his wife in each of them, and few of them by themselves, but something was…oh no.

He knew the signs.

This was her home. And it looked like that she'd Obliviated her parents.

For a brief moment, he wondered why, but then he quickly realized that she had most likely done it to keep her parents safe.

At this thought, he felt his heart drop slightly. She wasn't even twenty, and yet she had sacrificed so much. Her parents, most likely several friendships by telling the Weasley's about the two of them, and at one point she thought that she'd lost him, too…

…It wasn't fair.

He let out a soft sigh, and walked across the room and through the doorway that she gone through.

He found himself in a kitchen, where she was pulling out a box of chocolate biscuits from the cupboard.

Walking across the linoleum, he approached her and gently placed a hand on her wrist, rubbing his thumb across it reassuringly, trying to tell her with words that it would be okay.

She gave him a small smile, and then opened the box, offering it to him.

He pulled out three biscuits, and then watched with a small smile as she pulled out an entire handful, numbering around five or six, and then quickly shoved one into her mouth. A look of satisfaction crossed her face, and he realized that he wanted to be the one to give her that look.

They chewed in silence for a few minutes, and then Hermione gave one last swallow and gave him a look.

He returned it, and then said the first thing that came to his mind.

"It was nice to see you make Potter useful for once in his life…and the dramatic exit, I'm sure, was a perfect finishing touch…"

He arched an eyebrow…and she suddenly burst into laughter.

"I…I just didn't know what else to say, you know?" she said, holding her side with one arm while gesturing with the other. "I was boxed into a corner and didn't have a way out! And then Harry showed up, _with_ Draco, mind you, and I just simply seized the opportunity…it was too perfect to pass up."

She grinned at him, and he found himself smirking back.

He moved over to where she stood and slid an arm around her waist, his eyes glinting.

"Yes, it truly was…in fact, Hermione, it was positively _Slytherin_ of you…"

Her eyes gleamed as she answered… "Yes, well, you've rubbed off on me."

He gave her a predatory grin, tightening his hold on her waist, and quickly hoisted her up onto the counter behind her.

"Perhaps…but I'd rather be rubbing _against_ you."

They shared a heated look as he insinuated his body between her legs and slid his hands up her thighs. Good lord, he could not get enough of her. And, though it was strange to realize it, she truly _was_ his wife, and they could do whatever they pleased.

Feeling impulsive, he gripped her tightly and Apparated the two of them back to the front room, onto the couch.

She grabbed his shoulders as she fell against him, and then groaned as she suddenly slid down in his grip and his thumbs were suddenly pressing against her center.

Unconsciously, she rocked herself against his hands and he grinned.

Oh, yes…_now_ she was rubbing against him.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 10?**


	11. Chapter 11

**PART XI**

They woke up next to each other on her bed, on the second floor. After a brief tussle down on the couch, they had both decided that they were tired and that the couch was no place to sleep, and since neither of them had any desire to go back to Severus' home, they went to her room.

Severus was the first one to wake up, spooned up tightly behind her on her small double bed.

His arms were wrapped around her waist, his left arm asleep from where she lay on it, and he carefully extricated it from beneath her.

He stared down at her and gently moved a strand of hair from her face, amazed at the woman that was married to him.

She had an inner resilience that he'd never seen before, and all of the things that had happened during the war would have caused even the most experienced of wizards to fall into deep depression, but she had not. She had endured, and come out stronger because of it.

As he waited for the numbness and painful tingling to go away in his left arm, he sat up and simply stared at her as she slept.

Severus felt exposed, as he was still in his transfigured clothes from earlier that day.

He'd worn his robe down to make breakfast for the two of them and had quickly transfigured it into a shirt and pants…which were now hopelessly wrinkled.

Realizing that he couldn't change a thing until they went back to Spinner's End, he simply sat there, staring at her. Her lips looked impossibly soft, and he found himself wanting to take her all over again, and he was slightly amazed at how _much_ he wanted her.

She wasn't a stunningly perfect woman, as many who looked at her simply saw a brainy girl with bushy hair with a propensity to constantly ask questions…

…which, to be honest, was all he'd seen for many years, until the night that she had come to him.

Now, he couldn't imagine a more beautiful woman in his eyes, and even though he knew that people would claim that there were many women who were prettier than her, he knew that he'd never see it.

As he stared at her while she slept, he noticed that she looked more rested. The dark circles that had appeared under her eyes earlier that day were now gone, and he knew that were she to open her eyes at that moment, they would be bright and alert.

He thought about waking her up…but then decided to simply wait. She needed the sleep, the solace.

And he would give it to her.

She then shifted in her sleep and slowly woke up, rubbing her eyes.

"Se…Severus?" she said, right in the middle of a yawn.

It was impossible to keep the grin from stretching across his lips at the sight. She was utterly adorable. How she was able to seem that way, while still being a witch that he would be nervous being on the wand side of, completely baffled him.

"Good morning, love."

A soft smile crossed her lips, and she sleepily said, "Good morning."

Now he was having to suppress a grin at the sight of her tangled hair. Even with smudged makeup and mussed up hair, she was still stunning to him. And the crazy thing was…he had no idea why.

He looked down at her hand, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that they'd really been married for all of this time. She was his. She was his _wife_. She was Mrs. Hermione Jean Granger Snape. Entirely his for the rest of their lives together and even beyond. Even if one of them _did_ pass on, they were tied together.

He reached down with his left hand and gently wrapped his fingers around hers, admiring their gold bands right next to each other.

She had truly become his salvation.

Feeling impulsive, he leaned down and captured her lips in an ardent kiss, taking her off guard in the best way possible.

He felt her surprise, and then her hunger as she arched up into him. He plundered her mouth, remembering all the nights that she'd warmed his bed back at Hogwarts. He wanted nothing more than to keep her in bed all day, letting both of them indulge every sensual pleasure that they could think of.

However, he kept himself under control and slowly pulled back.

"Hermione…" he breathed against her lips, and she smiled, her eyes glazed.

"Yes…?"

He searched her gaze and then smiled at what he saw.

"Marry me…"

A wide grin crossed her lips and she laughed. "Of course I will, Severus…but aren't we already married?"

He nodded.

"Yes, but I never actually asked you properly. I never actually said the words."

She gave him a devious smile.

"Well…you did ask me in bed both times." Her grin then turned from devious to reminiscent. "Did…did you like what we had? You know, back at Hogwarts?"

He waited a long moment before answering, gathering his thoughts, not wanting to say anything that might upset her or offend her in any way possible. He wanted to tell her the truth, but he didn't want her to be mistaken about his feelings for her.

"I…I needed it," he said, and then he quickly clarified the rest of the thought. "And I cherished every moment that we had together. All of it."

That seemed to be exactly what she needed to hear, as a broad grin crossed her lips.

"Me too."

He ran a hand through her hair, smoothing it down, and then said, "You are my salvation."

At this, her eyes went moist and she lifted a hand to his face, lovingly running her fingers along his jawline.

"And you are mine."

They lay there, she now resting on her side, he on his…and he realized, that for the first time in his life, he was happy. He was happy. From now on, she was going to be in his life, and because of that, he would happy for the rest of his life, no matter what.

They had found each other in the shadow darkness of war and had emerged on the other side with their hearts in each other's keeping.

He was happy.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 1111**

**THE END!**

**A.N. - Thank you for staying along for the ride! I love these two, and I hope that you enjoyed the story!**


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